At This Performance: Diego Rodriguez in Sunset Boulevard

 At This Performance

of

Sunset Boulevard - The role of Joe Gillis will be played by 

Diego Rodriguez

This time seeing Sunset Boulevard we knew ahead of time that we'd be seeing an understudy in the role of Joe Gillis, usually played by Tom Francis. Having seen the announcement of social media that he would be on vacation, we weren't taken by surprise when we found this white slip of paper in our Playbill:

Ever since he announced that he would be on, I was excited to see Diego Rodriguez in the male lead of one of my favorite shows. He was a true stand out as Artie the first time I saw the revival. At the time, I wrote of his performance: "Artie Green (the dashing Diego Andres Rodriguez, who delivers by far the most interesting version of the otherwise forgettable character I've seen) is seen crying when he realizes the betrayal of his fiance and of his best friend." Could he be just as amazing as Artie's best friend?

Within seconds of his first entrance (spoiler alert: he emerges center stage from a body bag) I had my answer. Yes. Here was a new, vibrant take on a role that until I saw Mr. Francis I felt lacked much depth. In Mr. Rodriguez's more than capable hands, Joe Gillis maintained that depth, and also found new intriguing facets.

Immediately, it is clear that he reads much younger than Francis, which at first allows his Joe to be youthfully cocky and arrogant as only a 20-something can be. From his dealings with his studio friends to the way he outruns the re-po men, he is both reckless and blasè. And yet, he endears. This perfectly sets up a new dynamic between Joe, Norma (Nicole Scherzinger) and Max (David Thaxton).

 

This Joe is not intimidated, Norma smells fresh meat easy to bend to her will, and Max sees someone that will be the next in a long line of husbands. With this much younger take, both Norma and Max underestimate Joe's skill at manipulation. Of course, the story doesn't change - Joe still gets sucked into Norma's drama, Max still runs interference. But there seems to be slightly more sexual tension and a sharper sense of desperation all around.

As the power in these relationships shifts, Rodriguez's performance evolves in wonderful ways. Even the way he sings evolves, with a more mature sound as the boy matures. In act two, it is immediately obvious that his Joe has grown up with his bold take on the title number. Later, his duet with Betty (the lovely Grace Hodgett-Young) works in ways that it never has for me before - it still is a problem for me in terms of tone and style - but here we see a young man growing up enough to be worthy of a contemporary. In turn, all of this heightens the stakes for how it all fleshes out. 

Whether intentional or not, watching him during the Act Two overture sequence, we see Diego, relishing his time in the lead. Yes, he goes through all the same moments as Tom, but I got the sense that there is a bigger difference between each of them and their respective Joes, and so he endears in a nice way - his smile (the only time we get to see it) is the wattage of the entirety of Times Square. But watching him snap into character the second the music starts for "Sunset Boulevard." What an exciting thing to witness.

He's a University of Michigan grad with a
BFA in Musical Theater and an award-winning playwright 

During his post-curtain BCEFA speech, David Thaxton referred to Mr. Rodriguez as "Broadway's hottest young corpse." He was joking, of course, but he wasn't wrong. As this is his professional debut, one hopes that this is the start of a long, successful career. What an absolute thrill to have been here for the beginning of it all. 

At This Performance: Sydney Jones in Sunset Boulevard

 At This Performance:

Sydney Jones as Betty Schaefer in Sunset Blvd.

Let's be honest, Betty Schaefer is not the big draw of Sunset Boulevard, and in this revival she's pretty far down the list of reasons to visit the St. James. Between the epic (and much bally-hooed) Nicole Scherzinger performance, the transfer of the principal cast from London to Broadway, and, of course, the radical re-vision of the piece by Jamie Lloyd. 

And so, when the understudy slip fell out of my Playbill announcing that Joe Gillis' would-be lover would not be played by Grace Hodgett Young, I didn't think much of it. I was sure whoever would be in the role would be fine.

Then the show started...

Hair pulled into two jaunty braids, knee high, white striped black athletic socks, and an outfit one might see on a Hollywood spin class teacher, Betty Schaefer made her entrance and I was enthralled instantly. Her name in real life is Sydney Jones, and she has that ever elusive "it" thing that everyone hopes to have. Singer? Check. Actress? Check. And given the concept of this austere, stone-faced staging, this is saying a lot. Her chemistry with Tom Francis is palpable, and Jones' strength makes her a legit threat to the fragile egomania of Nicole's Norma Desmond. Plus, the camera loves her. What more could you ask for?

According to her bio, Sunset is not her Broadway debut - that was just across 44th Street as a swing in A Beautiful Noise - and she has created roles in two Broadway-bound shows, the soon-to-open Boop!and the potential future musical version of The Karate Kid. With 12 seasons at The Muny, and a BFA from the University of Oklahoma, her experiences seem to have primed her for a big career on the stage.

When I reviewed Sunset, I said of her performance, "Similarly, a heartbroken Betty Schaefer, in solitude, sheds a single dramatic tear before she makes her final exit. At this performance, the role was played by a star in the making, Sydney Jones; she is simply divine." If you get to see her in the show, trust that you are in excellent hands. In a role that is a meal, she's a whole banquet!

At This Performance: Alex Vinh in Kimberly Akimbo

When Mike and I paid a second visit to Kimberly Akimbo last month, our Playbills came with a little white piece of paper. "At this performance, the role of Martin will be played by Alex Vinh." We are always excited to see new talent, and in this case, a new young actor making his Broadway debut! If you go, and see that he's on at your performance, you are in for a real treat.

What a thrill to report that he was terrific - notable for his vibrant presence, ease with the sharp group of four show choir teens, and especially his chemistry with the equally vibrant Michael Iskander. Truly, it is great to find out that this little ensemble - with the tightest harmonies currently on Broadway - runs like a well-oiled machine no matter who is in the mix. Mr. Vinh is also really funny, getting laughs where I don't recall them occurring before.

with his fellow KA swings Skye Alyssa Friedman and Miguel Gil

Needless to say, I had to find out more about this dynamo. Here's what I found:

• He has a BFA in Musical Theater from Texas Christian University.
• Among the shows he was a part of in his training were Sweeney Todd (Tobias Ragg), Bat Boy (Bat Boy), Sylvia, and A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine.
• In addition to acting, his training also included make-up and wig design.
• He's appeared in a variety of regional theater productions including: Violet, Winter's Tale, ...Spelling Bee, Mamma Mia! and Spring Awakening.
• Off-Broadway, he was in CSC's Snow in Midsummer, and Kimberly Akimbo at Atlantic Theater Company.
• We also spotted him in a featured role in season 1 of Only Murders in the Building!

left to right: Bat Boy and Spring Awakening

Opening Night at Snow in Midsummer

I look forward to watching Alex's career take off! 

At This Performance: Matt Raffy in & Juliet

 At This Performance:

Matt Raffy as May in & Juliet

This past weekend, we finally got to see & Juliet (review coming soon), and the Playbill included a little square of white paper: "At This Performance the role of May will be played by Matt Raffy." For some, a misplaced disappointment. For us, and exciting opportunity! And let me just say, if you see their name pop up on the cast board or on a Playbill slip, you are in for some real excellence! I won't give any spoilers, other to say that May goes on an emotional journey that requires all the skills - comedy, drama, song and dance - and Matt is amazing at all four. 

Needless to say, I immediately looked up everything I could find on this great new (to me, anyway) talent. I found out that Raffy was born in France, and was raised in Canada. A graduate of both the Vancouver Film School and the Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts, they've amassed in impressive international resume of film, television and theatrical productions. Audiences have seen Matt in pantos like Cinderella, and shows like Mamma Mia!, Beauty and the Beast and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

I can't wait to see them in lots of things in the future! Find out more: mattraffy.com

Answers to Last Week's Broadway Game

Trivial Pursuit

Card #1:

Card #2:

Best of 2021: Performances

And so ends another trip around the sun. As theater fans, I'm sure you'll agree that the last two years have been brutal. Here's hoping that 2022 brings us even more live theater to enjoy and celebrate.

We end our retrospective week with a look at our favorite performances of the year.

THE BEST OF

PERFORMANCES

BEST GIRL GROUP: 

The Ladies in Waiting of Six

What's a queen without her entourage? At Six, the band is as much a part of the show as the actors. Oh boy, can they play!

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST: 

The Queens of Six

Precision, sass, and a show so tightly packed with dance moves, transitions and poses is rarely this well-executed. That you literally feel the "girl power" radiating off the stage, and a pervading confidence that these women fave each others' back makes the experience all the more satisfying.

BEST SUPPORTING ENSEMBLE: 

The cast of Diana

Sometimes campy, sometimes serious, and always a triple-threat, this group does it all with royal finesse. Surely they were exhausted after every performance, having completed Christopher Ashley's precise staging and Kelly Devine's energetic choreography!

BEST PAIR: 

Etai Benson as Paul and Matt Doyle as Jamie in Company

There wasn't a weak link in the entire cast, and each couple had their charms, but Etai and Matt were magic. Their palpable chemistry was off the charts, so endearing and so honest. One of the best things about sitting as close as we did was being able to see them have that same level of relationship evident in side glances, in passing and even across the stage.

BEST REPLACEMENT: 

Heidi Blickenstaff as Mary Jane in Jagged Little Pill

The role - and its Elizabeth Stanley legacy - is an enormous undertaking. Heidi made the role her own, and brought out an intensity and self-loathing that was painful to watch, which made watching her decent all the more emotional, and her personal reconciliation all the more cathartic.

   

Erin Davie (right) and Caissie Levy

      

Kevin S. McAllister, Samantha Williams (right) and Rashidra Scott

BEST INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE: 

Erin Davie (Diana), Caissie Levy, Kevin S. McAllister and Samantha Williams (Caroline, or Change), Rashidra Scott (Company)

All five of these actors were stand-outs on stages filled with stand-outs. Their dedication to bringing their individual characters to life with strength and specificity is matched by their commitment to being just one part of the bigger tapestry of their respective shows.

ICONIC PERFORMANCE: 

Patti LuPone as Joanne in Company

A performance years in the making in a role perfectly suited to the actor. Thousands of words have been written on this very topic, and I doubt I have anything to add to the discourse. All I will say is this: it was a privilege to witness every second she was on stage.

At This Performance: Matthew James Thomas in Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark

At This Performance:

Matthew James Thomas in

Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark

Given Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark's injury record and notoriously difficult preview period, it should not have been a surprise that the second time we saw the show (don't judge), Matthew James Thomas was on for Reeve Carney in the title role. Still, it was a bit of unexpected news, because even though Thomas was the alternate, he was not scheduled for that particular performance. But we thought, "What the heck? Why not?" After all, the show (and its myriad of potential changes) was what we were there to see. Seeing a different take on the role is usually an interesting proposition. Let's see what this young man had!

Like Carney, at this point in the genesis of the musical, a lot of Thomas' work was about hitting marks, flying around without hitting the walls or the floor, and dodging various pieces of scenery and decked out cast members. And again, as with Carney, he handled all of that injury-free and with finesse. Could Mr. Thomas do all of that and still find room in his performance to find some depth and emotion so as to not get lost in all of the pageantry?  Mr. Carney could. And so did this wonder-alternate.

For me the devil is in the details. First up, was the insane bullying his character, Peter, had to withstand. He was sensitive and sympathetic. Next, was his evolution as a suitor for Mary Jane (Jennifer Damiano) believable? Could we see the relationship grow from awkward infatuation to good friendship to young love? Well, I'm pretty sure even the folks up in the rear balcony of the Foxwoods Cavern Theatre could feel their palpable attraction. That he can emote and sing would normally be a given, but the level of his talent (especially under these circumstances) was truly impressive.

But this is a superhero show. Could we believe that nerdy Thomas' Peter Parker was also strong enough to be Spidey? Well, literally, yes. He looked great in the suit, of course, but he was completely believable as he faced off against a gallery of villains, and especially with The Green Goblin (Patrick Page). Thomas was a perfect match for Page's trademark acerbic wit and comic book delivery. They had every bit as much chemistry as he had with Ms. Damiano.

He was, simply put, terrific in the title role. We were not in any way short-changed. In point of fact, though we enjoyed both actors in the role, we admitted we preferred Mr. Thomas. The best part of the whole Spider-Man experience was being able to see two young actors excel at the start of their careers, and to see both of them headlining later shows to great acclaim, Reeve Carney in Hadestown, and Matthew James Thomas in Pippin. I'm sure we are not alone in looking forward to long careers on the stage from both.

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At This Performance: Van Hughes in American Idiot

Back in April, Mike wrote an article about his favorite performance of the role of St. Jimmy in his favorite musical, American Idiot (HERE). Today, he shares his thoughts on one performer who understudied all three principal male roles, a performer he had the opportunity to see in all three roles!

At This Performance:

Van Hughes in American Idiot

In the original Broadway run of American Idiot, Van Hughes served as understudy for all three of the young men whose story the show is about: restless wanderer Johnny, sudden family man Will, and injured soldier Tunny. In this blog, Jeff has invited me to reflect on my experience seeing Hughes in all three of these roles during my multiple trips to the show.

I first saw Hughes take on the role of Will, who is unable to accompany his friend Johnny on his adventure when he finds out his girlfriend is pregnant. While this seems to me like the most straightforward of the three roles, it’s also true that the actor playing Will is on stage almost the whole time and has to create some kind of character arc out of a small amount of material. Van Hughes’ take on the role was just as compelling as – and, to be honest, very similar to – that of Michael Esper, the regular performer. The main difference that I noticed was their vocal delivery in “Novacaine” and “Nobody Likes You,” for which Hughes gave a more traditional reading alongside Esper’s deliberately strained thinness. They were both great in the part, and they even looked a little bit alike.

I next saw Hughes when he substituted for Stark Sands in the part of Tunny, who runs away with Johnny to the big city but quickly finds himself being seduced into the army. Once again, Hughes pretty much nailed it, but in this case I must admit that Sands had the edge. Some of the reasons were a bit superficial: Stark Sands simply looked the part of someone who has it in him to be both a trouble-making slacker and a clean-cut soldier, whereas Van Hughes’ vaguely edgier look didn’t fit so well here. The “Extraordinary Girl” flying sequence was noticeably less tight when Hughes was in the role, especially the speed of some of the rotations (but this is something that I’m sure would be corrected if he had played the role for a longer term). And, although I don’t know exactly what the ranges are for the parts, it seemed like Hughes’ voice was not quite as well-suited to the relatively high tessitura of a song like “City of the Dead.” But these are largely quibbles from someone who saw the show too many times. Hughes gave a convincing performance, wringing out all of the heartache and uplift to be found in the journey of Tunny, whose story is somehow both the most tragic and ultimately the most joyous in the show.

I was finally able to see Hughes’ take on the central character of Johnny for the first - but not nearly the last - time when he played the role opposite Melissa Etheridge as St. Jimmy. And even though Etheridge is a genuine star in real life, it was Hughes who gave the standout performance, delivering a stunning interpretation of this very enigmatic role. It would be impossible to give a ranking of his performance with respect to that of regular star John Gallagher, Jr.; it doesn’t even feel quite right to compare them. While both performances were finely tuned to the role, their choices were categorically different, with very different benefits and rewards proceeding from these choices.

If you saw Gallagher in the role of Johnny, you know that he created a unique, fascinating character played with amazing discipline and precision. His Johnny was also, I think, rather stylized, a creation perfectly suited to the world of American Idiot but perhaps, I must admit, not very much like any person I’ve met in the real world. (This is not really a  criticism, and I’ll just leave it at that, since the topic here is Van Hughes.) Anyhow, all of this discipline and precision also meant that Gallagher’s performance was tightly constrained – and that’s something that was not at all true of Hughes’s performance, with very affecting results. Hughes attempted to show nothing more than a regular guy, slightly bored and resentful of his home situation, who decides to go on what he thinks will be an exciting journey but which will really end up dragging him down to hell and back. This was perhaps not as tightly wrought or ambitious a characterization as Gallagher’s, but the rewards were just as potent, because Hughes was very convincing in his vivid highs and exquisitely painful lows.

And so Hughes’s Johnny jumped up and down like a little boy on Christmas morning when he was about to leave with his best friend on a cross-country trip; when he got there, he swung his guitar playfully as he delighted in the prospect of conquering his new city. (Gallagher’s Johnny, so tightly wound from start to finish, would never do these things, and we wouldn’t want him to). Having established this, Hughes enabled himself to really bring out the horror of Johnny’s steady descent. And it was a nuanced, incremental one: although the effects of his drug use were starting to change him, Johnny was still basically a happy and optimistic guy when he first made love with Whatsername; much less so the second time, as St. Jimmy’s influence grew and the drugs became as important as the sex; and still less so by the time he sang “When It’s Time” to her as she slept. By the time he was threatening her with a knife (“Know Your Enemy”), the descent was complete, but significantly more shocking under Van Hughes’s performance, because this is something we could never have imagined of the young man at the start of the show.

Hughes went on to succeed Gallagher as the regular portrayer of Johnny on Broadway - not a surprise, considering how compelling his “trial run” proved to be - and he also headlined the show when it began its national tour. This gave me the opportunity to see his wonderful performance several more times, and it only got better as he gained experience in the role. 

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At This Performance: Stephanie Torns in Waitress

 At This Performance:

Stephanie Torns in Waitress

I'm a Jessie Mueller fan. Often, she's not just the best person in the show she's in, she's the only good thing about she's in. So, I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed when the white slip of doom fell out of my Waitress Playbill. "At this performance the role of Jenna usually played by Jessie Mueller will be played by Stephanie Torns." "Who knows? Maybe she'll be great, and I'll have discovered a new talent to follow," I thought.

The lights dimmed. 🎶 Sugar...butter...flour...🎶 In less than five minutes, I was sold. What a talent! Her performance was a heady mix of confidence and vulnerability. Smart and funny, Ms. Torns held the audience in the palm of her flour-dusted hands.

The highlight of the evening was when we got to "She Used to Be Mine." You could sense the audience pulling for her to nail the show's signature tune. Boy, did she deliver! The sustained applause when she finished was electric. I hope she felt our support. I mean, I know that it's her job to do just that, but still, it is a real accomplishment. I don't feel like I missed out on anything with her heading the company.

She delivered the kind of star turn theater lovers live for - the chance to brag that "I saw Stephanie Torns in Waitress." Apparently, I'm not alone in this adoration. The producers saw fit to give her her own stint as the above-the-title star of the show. One thing I know for sure: the next time she's cast in a show, I'll be sure to see it.

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At This Performance: Andrew Call in American Idiot

At This Performance:

Andrew Call in American Idiot

When I started this new monthly column, several performances by terrific understudies leapt to mind right away. One of them I didn't even see! But when, well over a decade later, Mike still talks about it, you know that performance is worth presenting here. We did see American Idiot several times together, but I somehow managed to miss this understudy. I wish I had seen him! Thanks for the article, Mike!

Jeff has been kind enough to give this space to me so that I might share a particularly memorable performance from a Broadway understudy: Andrew Call, who filled in as St. Jimmy in American Idiot. 

During its too-brief run of just over a year, I had the pleasure of seeing eight performances of the Broadway production of Green Day’s groundbreaking rock opera/jukebox musical. During that time, I was able to see four talented performers take on the role of St. Jimmy, the enigmatic alter ego of Johnny, the show’s central character. Up against two rock stars and a Broadway veteran, my favorite was the understudy!

First, here are a few notes on his “competition,” namely the three other actors I saw playing the role of St. Jimmy. Tony Vincent, who originated the role, was the least subtle and most commanding of the four, and certainly the loudest. His emotional range was narrower than the others, but this is a role that benefits from a take-no-prisoners approach, and Vincent did not disappoint.  

Melissa Etheridge, who filled in for one mid-winter week, gave the most accomplished vocal performance, but her acting was less compelling than the other three. Etheridge sang beautifully but did not give much of a sense of what St. Jimmy is about and why Johnny would be immediately taken in.

 

Billie Joe Armstrong did two substantial stints playing the character he basically created, and he brought an interesting sense of playfulness, even joy, to a very intense role. His vocals were great, even if the lyrics weren’t always easy to understand, and his acting choices were usually on point. 

But it was Andrew Call who, in my opinion, proved to be the complete package. He was as close to an ideal St. Jimmy as I can imagine, and I was fortunate to catch two of his understudy performances. 

Andrew is a handsome young man and he made an awfully pretty St. Jimmy.  Much more importantly, though, his take on this role was persuasive in almost every detail.  While he couldn’t match Vincent in his vocal delivery of those power punk moments, his nuance and emotional commitment during quieter scenes, especially the moving "Last Night On Earth," easily made up for it. 

Call's acting was simply superb: with each glance, upturned eyebrow, and flirtatious caress, he revealed a very complex relationship with his victim. This St. Jimmy had a kind of contempt for Johnny even as he seemed to almost love him; he was at once dismissive, seductive, and terrified of losing Johnny. 

Seeing an understudy excel in a role - and even transcend the performance of a main cast member, as Andrew Call did - is one of the most thrilling moments to be had in a theater. Understudies may lack the resume and name recognition of the stars, but quite often, as in this case, they do not lack the talent to excel. 

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At This Performance: Jordan Dobson and Mia Pinero in West Side Story

At This Performance:

Jordan Dobson & Mia Pinero in West Side Story

The last time I was in a Broadway theater, literally, was January 26, 2020. Ironically, it was the Broadway Theatre, and it was a show I was so excited to see. Sure there was a lot of controversy - casting, the cuts, the absence of Jerome Robbins' iconic choreography - but I was looking forward to something fresh for one of my all-time favorite musicals. Even with all that, I was optimistic. Then I went to the box office, where I saw the cast board. There it was: "At This Performance the role of Tony will be played by Jordan Dobson." Then below that: "The role of Maria will be played by Mia Pinero." Well, it was disappointing not to get to see Isaac and Shereen, but I was still excited to see a new West Side Story. One of the benefits of years of theater-going is knowing that the old adage, "today's unknown actor is tomorrow's marquee name" is, by and large, very true. Thankfully, in this case, it was very true.

Both of these performances were flawless, not even the smallest hint that they were understudies. Mr. Dobson found the balance between Tony's loyal bravado and desire to grow up. And his voice! A "Something's Coming" full of hope and optimism; a "Maria" that makes you ache with joy. Then there was Miss Pinero, who came on like gangbusters (no pun intended) with a strength and spunkiness that was intoxicating. No shy violet here; this Maria knows what she wants and will do what she has to to get it. Separately, they were wonderful. Together, they were superb. Their palpable chemistry made the tragedy of the story that much more so. A fresh take on a classic paired with a fresh take on two familiar characters made this one exciting revival.

Hindsight, they say, is 20/20. Given the events that followed that final trip to New York, I'm grateful that this challenging production was my last. I think of it often, and hope to see it again. I wonder if it'll be as good without that beautiful pair in the leading roles. No matter. I can't wait to see their names on more Broadway cast boards for years to come.

#2510